Deathstalker Destiny

A part of me didn't want to read this book. Deathstalker Destiny is the fifth and final installment in the life and times of Owen Deathstalker. I've been through a lot with the main characters of this Deathstalker series. Heck, we overthrew a seemingly impervious evil Empire, liberated worlds, saved great big chunks of humanity time and time again, and overcame superhuman enemies the likes of which I had never dreamed of. Now, it's all coming to an end. It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't this really depressing prophecy hanging over Owen Deathstalker's head since early in the first novel - Owen Deathstalker, the greatest kind of hero, the only honorable aristocrat from a court of power-hungry villains, the last great hope of humanity itself predicted to die alone far from his friends without ever coming to know the love that helped drive him. Things certainly aren't going too well as the book opens. The Empire is still mightily struggling internally to develop an effective form of government after the end of the rebellion; seemingly all of humanity's enemies are attacking almost everywhere in force- the rogue AI of Shub, the self-augmented Hadenmen, and some kind of souped-up giant insects; a far greater enemy called the Recreated is now on its way; and the worst plague in history is decimating one planet after another. Owen Deathstalker doesn't have time to think of these things, though. Hazel D'Ark, the former clonelegger and pirate who became Owen's best friend as well as the woman he loved, has been taken by the Blood Runners (who will torture her in order to learn the secrets of the powers she acquired in the alien Madness Maze on the Wolfing World), and Owen sits helplessly on the leper planet Lachrymae Christi - without a ship and without the Maze-given powers he had come to depend on. Of course, Owen's attention eventually shifts back to the Empire's losing struggle against unstoppable alien forces. Owen has always understood duty, and he really has little choice in the matter. He does truly become humanity's last and only hope for survival. Everything comes full circle by the end, but at least Owen finally does get to hear the story behind this awful destiny he has never been able to elude. A lot of big issues are resolved over the course of this book, including some surprisingly important ones involving some of the most fascinating and unique secondary characters I've ever encountered in science fiction. I have to say that Simon R. Green floored me several times over the course of this novel. After well over 2000 pages with this series' heroes, I thought I knew these characters pretty well. I was nothing less than shocked by a few of the events in Deathstalker Destiny. I can accept everything that happened, but I surely didn't see some of it coming. Green truly closes this series out with one bang after another, and that goes a long way toward making this the most exhilarating novel in an already exhilarating

In the last book of this wonderful series, Green gives it his all in my opinion. Every charactor has their moment of glory and each follows through that development that was slated from the beginning. It may be argued that the series was intended to be over after the third, but I say the story would have been nowhere near over. Each charactor has something to learn, something to do. Each one has their desitiny to find. This book ended with a turn of plot so right, yet so frustrating, that I have been forcing people to read the series just so I could discuss it with them. In short, this is Green's best since Blue Moon Rising, maybe even better, when taken as a series.

The book is definetly worth buying. The ending was a bit sad, seeming like Green just wanted to get rid of the job to continue the series. Besides that, a great masterpeice. A definete 5 Star to this book and the whole series!

Okay, I'm probably dumb for actually trying to argue with my highly educated and esteemed friend Yoon Ha (previous reviewer), but I'll give it a shot, just because I think it's worth having a dissenting viewpoint posted here. Yoon's points are all very much valid, and I really can't argue with her on a purely technical level. So instead I'll just tell it experientially--I LOVED this book. Regarding characters: I felt for them, I loved them, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen to them. I cheered them and I cursed them. I never for a moment thought they were REAL, or even anything resembling real, but I didn't care--this is space opera, and their apocalyptic and melodramatic personalities just flat-out worked for me. Regarding shattering events, I loved them all. In fact, I was impressed at how many different catastrophes Green managed to throw in there--he must have set some kind of record. Sure, it got pretty ridiculous, but again, I didn't think that mattered--it was just FUN. I don't think this whole series is meant to be taken that seriously anyway. Regarding "pat" endings: I loved them. Especially the Shub ending. I literally shouted with excitement when I read that. The whole experience was immensely satisfying, and of course totally unrealistic--and, one more time, I didn't care about the realism. In this kind of epic tale of good and evil, wrapping things up like that is a necessity--space opera isn't real life, it's the most awesome aspects of real life distilled into a form so threadbare and larger-than-life that we lose all sense of reality and instead just have a roaring good time the whole way through. Want a textbook example of good writing? This sure isn't it. Want to have a blast reading the best space opera there is? Then Deathstalker is for you.

Okay. I picked up the book at a bookstore. Ever since I read Deathstalker Rebellion I've loved the series - Green is a fantastic writer. Destiny is well-written, fast-paced, all the things that I've always loved about the series. But in my opinion, what Green does to his lead characters is inexcusable. COMPLETELY. I won't give away any plot points, but ... oh, I don't know. Let's just hope there's another series on the way, or at least a follow-up book. It's a big galaxy. Things can happen.